The Suicide Machines: War Profiteering Is Killing Us AllWar Profiteering Is Killing Us All (2005)Side One Dummy Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

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Contributed by: KirbyPuckettKirbyPuckett(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on August 9th 2005I do not drink coffee; the vile odor and bitter taste drives my senses crazy. So unlike the majority of the world, I am left without that early morning pick-me-up. A bowl of cereal mixed with fruit is a healthy option, and on those days when my alarm fails to sound off, a Red Bull is a common option.

I do not drink coffee; the vile odor and bitter taste drives my senses crazy. So unlike the majority of the world, I am left without that early morning pick-me-up. A bowl of cereal mixed with fruit is a healthy option, and on those days when my alarm fails to sound off, a Red Bull is a common option for a quick start. However, the ultimate pick-me-up-to get me started at work after a long evening kissing the bottle is a record that's loud enough to jump-start my awareness, while maintaining a level of energy only found in a catchy singalong chorus. On War Profiteering Is Killing Us All, the Suicide Machines bring all of the added benefits of caffeine and a wholesome breakfast as well as a heavy dose of current events from the morning paper.

Detroit's Suicide Machines are known for pioneering fierce punk rock with infectious ska chords on their debut Destruction By Definition, which saw their name begin to fade from respected status into the used bins thanks to a few unpleasant records. Hope was restored to fans when after finding a new label, as well as a few new members, the band relaunched their career with one of the greatest comeback records, A Match & Some Gasoline. The album was an instant classic amongst the group's discography by mixing the charm of DBD and ferocity of Battle Hymns along with a rejuvenated political rush. In 2005, the Suicide Machines have raised the bar for themselves and the entire punk/ska genre once more. The opening vocal chord strainer "War Profiteering Is Killing Us All" instills a seed immediately that they were out to write their heaviest and most politically-charged record to date, easily making Battle Hymns feel like the radio-friendly self-titled disc. Unlike most modern acts who are ashamed of their ska ancestry, the Suicide Machines praise ‚??em with upstrokes a-blazin' on "Capitalist Suicide" and continue the excitement on the immediate crowd-pleaser "Junk."

A quick glance at the cover for War Profiteering Is Killing Us All will not fool anyone on the enclosed content. The Suicide Machines' songs about shoes and girls have been traded in on lyrical content about voting ("17% 18 To 25"), standing up against dishonesty ("The Red Flag"), and pollution on one of the hardest hitting mixtures between hardcore and ska the group has ever crafted with "Nuclear Generators." What is most impressive is that the political tone to the songs never feels too forced upon the listener; sure, Jay's voice is stronger than ever as he wails through the stereo, but it never feels preachy or run of the mill, which is addressed on "Rebellion Is On The Clearance Rack (And I Think I Like It)".

I had to scrape hard to find faults with the Suicide Machines' sixth studio album and I still cannot come up with a vital excuse not to purchase War Profiteering Is Killing Us All. At 13 songs and 30 minutes, it is a bit brief; the majority of the tracks clock in at less than two minutes. Also, upon initial play the songs might not initially become instilled in your memory; however, after a handful of listens the songs will feel as important as anything in their storied discography.

a few good songs but mostly generic hardcore mixed with infantile lyrics. "Rise Up, Rise Up, we gotta fight the power!"? really? maybe for a high school band's first effort, but not acceptable for a veteran band's 6th album. Capitalist Suicide and 95% Of The World Is 3rd World are great songs, but yikes, this was a bit of a let-down.

This cd has some good songs on it, but a disappointing follow up to A Match and Some Gasoline, which was surprisingly good considering the terrible couple of releases they had after Battle Hymns. The energy is good, but there is a lack of the variety that makes the Suicide Machines really impressive.

what the fuck? this album is as reptetive as fuck. write more than like two verses you shitsandwich!

Anonymous (January 16, 2006)

the cd is fucking sweet what the say about the war is right fuck this war! fuck bush!

Anonymous (January 7, 2006)

This record is total shit. The lyrics are embarassingly meager and sound like the gang discovered liberal politics the day of recording and decided to write their lyrics by scribbling down bumper stickers they saw on the way to the studio.

I hope the anti-war crowd disavows this shitty attempt to steal the thunder of cutting-edge activism, but since they embraced the opportunistic, souless bullshit that was Green Day's last chart-topper, I think I'll see all my unshaven vegan friends pumping this shit while I try to get us back on topic of international expansionism.

The hardcore edge that the Suicide Machines are going for here sounds forced, tired and weak - they trip over themselves with pussy third-string knockoffs of Black Flag and Blood for Blood. Remember "Battle Hymns?" Of course you do, everyone owns that record - why did these guys sound vital there, and sound old and out-of-touch here? Because too many years passed with their heads up their asses, and now they're trying to go for a hardcore sound to seem edgy.

Hey, Suicide Machines, before you had this faux-liberal posturing, you were busy playing to the fucking System by changing your fucking sound every record after "Battle Hymns" to find a fit that would sell. It's too late for you to jump on the political bandwagon you fucking opportunists - others have been pushing forward the movement with blood, sweat, and tears, and you regurgitate shitty punk rock rehashes and expect to be accepted. Fuck you!

If anyone wants to hear a punk band that's smart enough to be allowed to use the phrase "blood for oil," try Sonic Boom Six. You don't have to agree with their politics, but you'll see they're better-read and better-motivated that these shitheads.

No, I'm not some fucking Ghandi. But at least I've been walking the walk & talking the talk in order to change lives, not sell records. Fuck the Suicide Machines!

This cd is pretty decent, I don't think it's as good as A Match, but it has some thrash songs on par with Battle Hymns. This cd wasn't as varied as the last and has several filler songs, that could have been left off. Also, I thought the lyrical arrangement on some of the songs was a little weak. If this is the first cd you have heard by the Suicide Machines, you need to pick up a copy of Destruction By Definition and Battle Hymns.

Wow.. wow..WOW! Awesome album. Much more free flowing and natural than "A Match.." I felt the ska on Match was very forced and stale. It doesn't come close to the schizophrenic tempo and style changes that made Battle Hymns my favorite SM album; but this is damn good stuff. Only a few of the songs kinda blend together near the end, but not one bad song. I love this cd.

Anonymous (August 12, 2005)

"it's probably cheaper at Best Buy"

But it would be incredibly ironic to buy it there.

Anonymous (August 12, 2005)

dude below me , yes! track 3 is maybe my fav. on here... i mena i'm feelin in like 'islands' in a different kind of way...thats saying a lot. the first 5 songs are all fucking great. so much energy, this album just flows perfectly, better than any since battle hynms.

paul

Anonymous (August 12, 2005)

Not nearly as good as "A Match and Some Gasoline" but it's still pretty good. I don't like the hard slow hardcore songs on this cd. Don't worry though there are still plenty of classic Suicide Machines style songs though. Song 3 is the exact type of song I love about this band. Song 12 is a really good ska song that sounds just like "Did you ever get a feeling of dread" and "High Anxiety".

Instead of being some dummy corporation, faceless, a name and a graphic design team, that exists abtractly out there, in the ether, most record labels develop personalities based on who runs it, what their roster is like, how they develop over time, where they started from, what real world background you can attatch to it.

Whether its what marketing strategy they follow, what type of relationships they keep, what type of involvement in media they have, unless you really have no clue whats going on, every label has a distinct personality.

Victory records, hate em or love em, has a unique way of marketing themselves, and what it puts out.
Epitaph is Mr.Brett, started in Southern California.
Fat is Fat Mike.
G-7 has ties with Propagandhi, and The canadian scene.
Punknews records is the punknews guys.

Its not like corporate history and spokespeople who are generally made up in some marketing survey, pulled out of fiction, always theatre first.

So what I'm saying is sideone dummy doesn't strike me as a living label. They seem faceless. They appear to have sprung out of the warped tour to market warped like bands (including the ever popular ex-major label band) to a built in demographic using fairly predictable marketing for the achievement of simple vanilla sales goals.

They seem to have just appeared, not having developed an identity, nor really wanting to, merely being an empty vessel that records pass through on their way to best buy. It seems to exist cause it can and some bands that had record labels don't want to downgrade to indie labels that might not promote them in the way they are used to.

I have no clue where sideone dummy is from, what its about, most of its bands have pre-established identities, as a label, it seems more like a money lender, and nothing more. It's like everytime a record comes out on it, whatever band whose record it is gets to run the label, then shuts it down till the next band wants to put their record out. The demographic is built in, the distribution is built in, everything is templated out.

Labels are more than just one more way of making money. Labels can be just as much a creative force as the bands they sign. They can be more than a graphic design team, and press kits.

This cd is their best. I think it's better than D BY D. Also, I have to say that Capsule has to be one of their best songs EVER.

Anonymous (August 11, 2005)

"Also, sideone dummy doesn't fill me with much emotion labelwise. They seemed to have been created out of the warped tour, and I don't quite understand them."

Wyzo, I've read your comments for years now, and you seem to be fairly intelligent. But this has to be one of the most retarded statements I've ever read. A label doesn't fill you with "emotion". I'm sure you like artists on majors, do those majors fill you with "emotion"?

I second that thought !! I can be very emotional at a Flogging molly show after a few pints but my heart never start beating faster when i look at logo's on the back of records.

Anonymous (August 11, 2005)

yea, i agree w/ the captain. this is much better than a match...the hardcore songs are much more intense and meaningful, the ska ones more original and less a retread of DbyD/battle hymns as the ones on a match were.

man, this really isnt good. you guys had me expecting something sort of good. the only song i like on here is junk, and its not even that great. i really liked match and some gasoline actually, and this is easily the worst thing in their catalogue. what a waste of time listening to this, they tried to remake match and some gasoline, which wasnt even a great record, and pretty much failed across the board. eck

Anonymous (August 11, 2005)

hey this is a review not the band guy below me...

also, what is your point? that bands should only make music that is popular at the time? aka be trendy? yea...good idea. the suicide machines should totally be doing mallcore like underoath right? you be dumb.

paul

Anonymous (August 11, 2005)

shut up stupid band. you guys are horrible. stop making music, everything you have done is just shitty. you guys were only popular when ska was popular. can't you see you roll with the punches rather than create the punches. just stop!

Anonymous (August 11, 2005)

I'm 25 for the dude who asked about how old we are, and i've been listening to them since 97 for what its worth.

and yea, DbyD is obviously their best, but don't discredit ' a match' or this new one, they are both quite solid, right up there w/ battle hymns, especially this new one. the s/t was shit, but 'steal this record' is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. a handful of really solid SM songs are on there as i pointed out in an earlier post.

"Also, sideone dummy doesn't fill me with much emotion labelwise. They seemed to have been created out of the warped tour, and I don't quite understand them."

Wyzo, I've read your comments for years now, and you seem to be fairly intelligent. But this has to be one of the most retarded statements I've ever read. A label doesn't fill you with "emotion". I'm sure you like artists on majors, do those majors fill you with "emotion"?

"Who does SideOne's distro? I went to Best Buy AND Circuit City and couldn't find this fucker. I guess I can hit an indie on the way home, but I really wanted to listen to this today."

Why would an indie be your second choice and not first when pertaining to this specific title?

Surely, you jest.

Anonymous (August 10, 2005)

I just got the record yesterday and I gotta say there is some classic songs on here but there is a lotta short song hard stuff filler that i thought made a match and gasoline suck a bit(it all sounds way to the same). Steal this record is a way better overall effort than either of the last two albums. Longer more clever put together songs that made that record great. 6 to 7 songs outa 13 and 14 song records that are under 40 minutes long just feels like kinda a rip off to me. I still love the band and will continue to support them live and by buying whatever they put out but well.......thats it.

Anonymous (August 10, 2005)

I prefer match & gasoline to war. well match is probably my favorite, I get kinda bored with the ska-SM although I loved battle hymns and destruction back then. never cared about the other 2. ¬®can't believe they play warped tour even on one date, it's just so "anti-vans" right?

Listing A Match last wasn't a put-down on the album. I think it's pretty damn good.....I just like the others more. But I don't really look at it as being a "comeback" album, because I thought Steal This Record was great. Though it was cool to see them take a more raw and grassroots-ish approach.

By the way, has anybody ever noticed that the last track on A Match and Some Gasoline is almost identical to the first song on Steal this Record? Albeit a poor man's version of it.

This is straight from the setlist last night. It's mostly DBD and AMASG stuff and only two new songs . They are still just as amazing live as everyone says they are. Jason was definitely on the dance floor at least as much as he was on stage and I don't think he actually took the stage until the fourth song. Shit definitely had the feel of a hardcore show with him in the crowd leading some awesome sing-a-longs. After they finished what they said would be the last song they left and the crowd yelled for about 5 minutes before Jason came back out and said Dan was too drunk to continue and was super cool in talking about how they haven't hit Vegas in a long time because the shows were always shitty, but he was really touched by the crowd tonight. This was the third time i've seen them and the crowd was about 1/3 of what is was when I saw them in Pheonix and Minneapolis but they still put out great energy. It's impossible to not have fun at a Sucide Machines show.

BTG (Break the Glass)
Islands
Burning in the Aftermath

Someone
Did You Ever Get A Feeling Of Dread?
Keep It a Crime

Capitalist Suicide
No Face
Too Much

High Anxiety
Step One
Capsule (

S.O.S
Face Values
DDT

Hey
So Long
Your Silence

Oh and if either of you L.A. guys that asked for this see a couple guys walking around with Black Flag, DRI, and Against All Authority tatts buy them a shot. That'll be me and my roomate 'cause it's fuckin' roadtrip time.

TheCaptain, why A Match last? To me that album was a great comeback after a couple subpar releases. Especially since you like War Profiteering, it seems to have a very similar feel to it. I would put Match third on that list, after DBD and War Profiteering. The other three have the occassional good song, but I'd be lying if I said I ever listened to them the whole way through.

This is my first Suicide Machines cd and from the looks of it DBD is better but this still looks good. I'll buy this and then that simply because i heard of that Wal Mart thing and i wanna take advantage of that. My friend loves this band and i never really got into them until he let me listen to a bunch of their songs and i was angry at all I'd been missing.

I was driving 4 hours home form indiana yesterday and i hit up every music store i passed to try to get this and Gogol Bordello's new one. At the second best buy i hit up in merrieville had about 20 copies of this. I wasnt able to find the gogol cd :(

Anonymous (August 10, 2005)

I went to best buy and a local indy store, neither had this ....wtf??? I WANT SOME BUTTS!!

paul

Anonymous (August 10, 2005)

my band drowning adam has the honor of playing a second time with these guys on monday in sacramento. I cant wait to hear there new material live.

Apparently notfeelingcreative has never heard Battle Hymns. A lot of songs on Destruction By Definition were political as well.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

Wonderful record, when I first bought "A Match and Some Gasoline" it was kind of hard to accept political (though generalized) lyrics from the same band who wrote "the vans song" and "so long", this seems to pack a little more of a bunch than the aforementioned record, lyrically it's still pretty cliche but it's a hell of alot better than: "Well just today i was forced to say I'm goin' on a permanent holiday I'll drop what i'm doin', it's okayI'm goin' on a permanent holiday"

-notfeelingcreative

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

This sounds like a band way past their prime trying way too hard to remain relevant. The whole record seems so forced, especially the lyrical content.

DbD is a million times better than this, and still sounds urgent and fresh almost 10 years after it first came out.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

After one listen: This album kicks ass. An eardrum assault, their most hardcore album to date, and a great companion to DBD for the shared title of best album.

The only weak points come from tracks 10-12. Even those songs are better than any *insert screamo band here* song.

-Not-To-Regret

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

Hey, primeevil, you fucking geek, I'd first like to pat your back for standing up for The Suicide Machines, as they are one of the greatest bands going today...

...but, go get fucked buddy. Fuck World Trade is an awesome title, with intelligent meaning, by an awesome bunch of guys who make awesome music.

"Detroit‚??s Suicide Machines are known for pioneering fierce punk rock with infectious ska chords on their debut Destruction By Definition"

Ummm... PIONEERING? Dude, I loved that album as much as anyone when it first came out (if if were possible to wear out a CD, mine would be dead) but c'mon... DbD was Operation Ivy recorded on a major label budget and mixed by Jerry Finn.

"This album was terrible. This is one of those times where I wish I could get my time back from listening to something so bad."

Really?
Go put your F-Ups shirt back on, and get in your oven.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

This album was terrible. This is one of those times where I wish I could get my time back from listening to something so bad.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

Well if Jello Biafra, The Clash, and Minor Threat qualify as "pop punk" then I guess I've been "brainwashed," but I've listened to them and college professors both and I can't really say the academics made any more sense.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

Actually a semi-decent review by this pussy. Though the one guy's comment about rails and Red Bull being for pussies was fuckin funny.

I'll have to download this first, though it sounds like it's worth a buy if I listen to you faggots.

"I don't know about anybody else, but the music I listened to when I was 13 to 18 had a huge effect on how I've looked at the world ever since, and that includes my views on politics. If bands like this want to get them while their young, good for them. Unfortunately these days most "adults" won't change their minds for any reason."

you were brainwashed dude. you should have never let pop punk bands mold your political views.

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

You should've gone to college.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

I don't know about anybody else, but the music I listened to when I was 13 to 18 had a huge effect on how I've looked at the world ever since, and that includes my views on politics. If bands like this want to get them while their young, good for them. Unfortunately these days most "adults" won't change their minds for any reason.

"Wow, you all sure have hard-ons for TSM's new "political" schtick. Not quite as bad as Anti-Flag's shameless marketing ploys, but come the fuck on, talk about cashing in on an empty youth trend.

This album takes the cake for having the dumbest, most exploitative title in history. Although "Fuck World Trade" comes pretty close.

If "political" bands actually wanted to make a difference they would make music that doesn't exclusively target an audience too young to vote. Sort of funny how that 13-18 age bracket has the most buying power when it comes to rock music. Coincidence?"

You suck, get over it. Do something worthwhile with your time. Instead of criticizing something because it's political, why don't you go make your own record and submit it to punknews? What are your your songs gonna be about? Your girlfriend getting it on with another girl? Accidentally leaving your hamster locked in the car on a hot summer day? Come on, let's hear it, you spineless bastard.

"If "political" bands actually wanted to make a difference they would make music that doesn't exclusively target an audience too young to vote. Sort of funny how that 13-18 age bracket has the most buying power when it comes to rock music. Coincidence?"

Having grown up on DBD, and judging from the love its received on this site, I would think that a majority of TSM fans are over 18. How is this record targeted to 13-18 year olds? As to the concern of the title, read a little bit and find out there might be some truth to it! With this said, don't ever ever ever fucking compare TSM with the likes of Anti-Flag. Shame on you.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

Wow, you all sure have hard-ons for TSM's new "political" schtick. Not quite as bad as Anti-Flag's shameless marketing ploys, but come the fuck on, talk about cashing in on an empty youth trend.

This album takes the cake for having the dumbest, most exploitative title in history. Although "Fuck World Trade" comes pretty close.

If "political" bands actually wanted to make a difference they would make music that doesn't exclusively target an audience too young to vote. Sort of funny how that 13-18 age bracket has the most buying power when it comes to rock music. Coincidence?

Has anyone seen them on their latest tour? If you have, do you remember what songs they played during their set? I'm going to see them at the Troubadour in L.A. on the 13th---they're still one of the best live bands around.

This is amazing. The last song (not the secret track) is fucking brilliant.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

Has anyone seen them on their latest tour? If you have, do you remember what songs they played during their set? I'm going to see them at the Troubadour in L.A. on the 13th---they're still one of the best live bands around.

"Like little audio drops from heaven..."
Hate to break it to you, I had a near death experience, the music in heaven sucks ass. All sorts of harps and woodwinds and shit. It's all bad. Stay here on earth where the devil can help mold music that dosen't suck. Like new Tenacious D.
-Dante

I'd rather listen to a band that's beeen playing hardcore consistently than a band that jumps back and forth like this. This isn't anything special.

Anonymous (August 9, 2005)

when do we start putting these guys in the discussion of ideal punk bands that upcoming artists should model themselves after? they have tweaked their sound, covered all the bases, and still put out kickass records after all these years. score is for longevity.

Pretty damn good record! Good to see them staying on the right track. Not better than DBD, but what could be? it keeps up with the pace of A Match and Some Gasoline and picks it up! Can't wait to see these songs live!

As strange as it sounds being dropped from a major was probably the best thing to happen to this band musically. Their last two albums are utterly awesome (which is even more amazing for how half-assed some of their earlier work was).
-Dante

Yep, this is basically the heaviest, not to mention the most schizophrenic SM album yet. You know how Match/Gasoline presented at least one song reminiscent of each of their past albums? This contains a little of everything within each song. It's bizzarre, but it works.